Huang Shan, a clerk, said at least 140 couples were in a queue within an hour of the opening of the office at 7 a.m.

In the eastern city of Qingdao, a total of 3,086 couples obtained their marriage certificates Wednesday. The figure was 16 times that of the daily average.

China saw a peak of marriage registrations and weddings Aug 8, 2008. Tens of thousands of couples across the nation chose the 'triple 8 day,' or 08/08/08, to tie the knot, as '8' is also an auspicious number among Chinese that is believed to bring wealth, fortune and luck for people.

The northwestern city of Urumqi that is still recovering from a riot in July also witnessed a surge of marriage registrations Wednesday.

'I specially asked for leave to come here for marriage registration,' said a 27-year-old woman of the Uygur ethnic group.

As the lucky days of 08/08/08 and 09/09/09 have passed, many young people began to eye 10/10/10, which means perfection in everything, and 11/11/11, which means wholeheartedness.

But sociologists have warned young people against blindly following the trend, as 'rushed marriages' have led to 'rushed divorces' in some cities.

'An auspicious date cannot guarantee an eternal marriage,' said Hu Guangwei, deputy director of the Social Studies Institute of the Sichuan Provincial Academy of Social Sciences.

'Lucky number day is mainly a psychological comfort, and couples better not simply follow suit to get married in a rush without truly knowing each other,' he said.